The Lake Breeze Newspaper

Lake Breeze Newspaper

South Scores 62.2 On New State Report Card

Near the beginning of the school year, the Sheboygan Area School District sent out South High School’s report card for 2011-2012, issued by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

South received, as its “Overall Accountability Score and Rating”, a 62.2. Grade wise, the score is interpreted as a ‘D’, which means “Meets Few Expectations”.

Principal Michael Trimberger said, “None of the reasons [that South has a D average] are that we don’t have a good school. We have great staff, great students, and a good school.”

Mathematics teacher Sue Klokow commented, “I am not exactly sure why South has a D average other than our WKCE scores were low.”

History teacher Peter Kautzer stated, “The report card is just a small part of a bigger issue...a deteriorating academic climate where students are more interested in social activities, electronics, and what’s going around the rumor mill. You do see students in this building striving for academic/scholarly excellence, but why can’t we see all students doing that? It is not happening. It starts at home.”

“Students rise to expectations. Sadly, sometimes academic standards and expectations are lowered to meet students at their apathetic condition,” Kautzer added.

In comparison to the state average, South’s reading achievement score was 26.8, compared to the state average of 32.0.

In mathematics, South received a score of 31.5 against the state average of 34.5.
The overall score in student achievement for South High was 58.3, while the state average stood at 66.5.

The school report also includes closing gaps, which is school improvement, and it factors in the improvement in reading, math, and graduation rate. South’s improvement score was 64.3, whereas the state average was 68.3.

Not only were South’s scores lower on student achievement and closing gaps, but also five total points were taken off South’s score due to absenteeism.

The deduction played a role in the score that was given to South. If the points were not taken off, South’s score would be at a C average, which “Meets Expectations”.

Due to the five-point deduction, new tardy and absenteeism rules set in this year, hence the five tardies then detention.

Trimberger provided the fact that North High scored 70.6 percent.
Moreover, other schools in the Sheboygan area, like Sheboygan Falls and Plymouth, all scored in the low 70s, meaning that South scored below other schools in the area.

Many teachers however feel that the report card does not show all the strengths and opportunities that South High has to offer. Lynn Gleue, science teacher, stated, “I don’t think we are a D average school. We already knew where our weaknesses and strengths were.”

Gleue, Klokow, and Trimberger agreed that teachers need to work together and they now are collaborating and will continue to do so.

Kautzer said, “School should not be all fun and games. It is about hard work, discipline, pushing yourself to intellectual limits, and bringing honor to your family and yourself. It doesn’t matter if students have other outside circumstances that prove to be barriers in this endeavor. Rise above them, get around them, or plow right through them. It is the American Way. No excuses, no explanations. Students have a job to do, they need to rise to the occasion and get it done.”

“If students gave their best effort and still fall short of expectations, that is okay. They did their best...that is all we ask...and we have interventions in place to help them achieve. Unfortunately, I don’t believe we are getting all of our students’ best,” Kautzer added.